


A Love to Retain

by TwiliDragonRin



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Before Fates, Camilla's Point of View, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Lesbians, Nohr | Conquest Route, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 00:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10651146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwiliDragonRin/pseuds/TwiliDragonRin
Summary: Three new warriors arrive at the doorstep of Castle Krakenburg to become the new retainers for the royal children. Camilla finds no need for a new retainer, however, something about this certain woman catches her attention. Giving this mercenary a chance wouldn't hurt. An idea inspired by unassumingvenusaur's post about Camilla's feelings for Selena in her point of view.





	A Love to Retain

****

Father told me that Xander, Leo, and I are receiving new retainers during dinner last night. From what he told us, he accepted the request of three travelers to become our retainers. He said, “I had let them test their skills about a month ago, I was not going to let outsiders become retainers without proving themselves.” Apparently they succeeded, in my father’s eyes.

Elise seemed excited for the three of us saying, “Now you’ll have two retainers just like me! Isn’t that great?!”

Xander has accepted Father’s decision, “More protection will always be sufficient.”

Leo also accepted, but he just seems happy that he’s getting another retainer like Elise.

I’m not the type to complain, but I honestly do not need another retainer. My darling Beruka is all I need especially since I can cut down anyone with my darling Marzia. But I did not voice my opposition toward this.

So now I currently make my way to the courtyard so I can watch these future “retainers” in action. If I have to have a retainer, I want to make sure I choose one to my liking.

Xander told me the description of these three men that father described to him. One sorcerer with blond hair and a yellow cape, one mercenary with grey hair and a blue shield, and another mercenary with red hair and a red shield. Men with these features should not be too hard to distinguish in the courtyard.

The courtyard, if you could call it that, is where the soldiers trained day after day. They honed their skills at a young age and killed those who could not. Such a savage way to gain more soldiers, but I digress. If these three men have managed to survive against our soldiers, then this may be very interesting. Let’s see if they are as good as father makes them out to be, a fight with the finest soldiers we have to offer.

As I finally arrived at the courtyard, I witnessed the soldiers standing in a large circle. Their final test must be a sight to see. Turning my head I spot Elise trying to watch the spectacle through the crowd of soldiers. I smiled faintly and walk over to her.

“Elise?” She turned her head with a bright smile on her face.

“Camilla! I was just about to come get you!”

“Oh? Is that so?”

She nodded and took a step closer to me. I knew she wanted something. “I was hoping that you and Marzy could get me a good view of the fight?”

“Why couldn’t you ask Zinnia to help?” I asked her, though I already know the answer.

“Well she seemed so comfortable in the stables and I didn’t want to wake her up. Besides, I know you are dying to see the new retainers too.” She looked up at me with those adorable eyes of hers. She is so manipulative when she wants to. Maybe I taught her too well.

“That you are right, Elise.” After thinking about it for a quick moment, I shrugged and smiled once more. “I don’t see why not. Besides, Marzia is just dying to see you again.”

“Oh yay!” she cheered.

\---

Elise held onto me tightly as we fly around the courtyard and view the fight below us. Elise leaned over a little bit, I enjoyed her smile as I pat Marzia behind her ear. My wayvern purrs lowly and nudged my hand.

“Oh look, Camilla! A sorcerer!” Elise squealed. My attention shifted from Marzia to the ground below us.

A blond sorcerer strikes our soldier with a bolt of lightning on the ground. The soldier takes a step back, but is hit with another bolt right in his stomach. The soldier screams, falling to his knees as his sword drops to the ground.

The crowd started to chant. “Finish him! Finish him!”

Elise frowned. “He’s…going to kill him, isn’t he?”

“Oh sweetie…avert your eyes.” But before Elise does, the blond sorcerer spoke.

“I am Odin Dark – warrior chosen by the darkness. Though the darkness hungers for blood, I resist its whispers and follow my own path!”

The crowd seemed to calm down and stared at the sorcerer, Odin, with much curiosity. That or the crowd just seem jarred.

“He won’t kill that soldier,” Elise whispers.

“He certainly has a unique way of saying it,” I say in response.

“Camilla, look! Now a mercenary is fighting another soldier of ours!”

It was the grey haired mercenary with the blue shield strapped to his shoulder. He raised his head to the sky and smiled at us. Elise waved at him and he saluted back.

“My name is Laslow and to the ladies watching me, I would like to dedicate this fight to them.” He bows his head at us. “My dear Princesses, I hope you enjoy.” Thus begins his fight with the next soldier.

Elise smiles. “He seemed nice!”

“I suppose so,” I sighed.

When I returned my attention to the fight, it had ended as soon as it started. Laslow stood victorious against another of our finest soldiers. He walked over to Odin and both seem to congratulate the other. I wonder how the last one will fare.

“So this next person is the last one, right Camilla?” Elise asked.

“Correct, though I figure that our last opponent will beat our last soldier with no problem.”

“You really think so? Well then…have you picked anyone yet? Odin could be a good choice because you could use a sorcerer! Or maybe Laslow seems to be a good choice, he seems very, very nice!”

I shook my head with discontent. Both men do seem capable of taking care of themselves, and not only that but they seem to be good friends. That would mean that they would have no trouble joining forces if need be. However, I cannot see myself working with a man who chants theatrical limericks, or a man who seeks to impress women at any given step.

I guess I really should pay close attention to the last mercenary.

“Is that a woman?” Elise’s question brings me back to reality. “It is! Camilla, that last mercenary is a woman!”

My attention returns to the crowd and there she is. Exactly as Elise had commented, there was a red haired woman with a red shield strapped to her left shoulder. She was challenging our last soldier, one of our finest mercenaries from the castle.

“Ey, why don’ ya go back home an change ya clothes?!” One of the soldiers called out from the sides.

“Ya missy, go be a Troubadour or somethin!” Another soldier called out.

“Or ya know, you can be a maid and serve our princesses!” All of the soldiers laugh.

Elise held my arm and leaned against my back. “Why are they being so mean to her…?”

I gently placed my hand over her arm. “Elise, when you see our soldiers out training out in the field, how many women do you see out training with the men?”

“Not many…”

“Well, what are the women fighting as?”

“Mostly…troubadours, like me, and strategists.”

I nod. “Exactly, you don’t see a woman fighting as a mercenary around here. In fact, they expect women to heal and care for the wounded soldiers, not fight in the frontlines.”

“Just go easy on them, Selena!” Laslow joked.

“Hold back thy sword arm!” Odin chanted.

Ahh, so her name’s Selena, it somehow fits her. The mercenary woman, Selena, raised her iron sword and pointed it to the soldier who raised his sword at her. He dashed towards her and swung his blade, but she swiftly dodged the attack. The soldier continued to swing his sword constantly while Selena unenthusiastically jumped out of his attacks. I could tell from her movements that she was growing much more tired of his poor display.

“This is pathetic, I’m already taking it as easy as I can,” Selena spat.

I knew that the soldier was growing angrier by the way he furiously swung his sword at her only to keep on missing. The crowd’s laughter was beginning to die down with only Odin and Laslow cheering and laughing cutting the silence.

“Just finish it, Selena,” Laslow said, finally. “There’s no reason to keep this charade going any longer. Just don’t kill him.”

“Tch, fine. Already making this much harder for me.”

The soldier gives one last swing of his sword only to miss completely. Selena slips behind the man and hits the back of his head with the hilt of her sword with all of her might. Upon contact, the soldier collapsed to the ground, unconscious. The crowd gasped.

“She did it!” Elise squealed. “Hooray!”

I raised my eyebrow. “Indeed she did.”

Selena sheathed her sword and walked over to Odin and Laslow who graciously smiled at her.

“You did it, Selena! Congratulations!” Laslow cheered.

“Gracious, our fair lady tamed her unsteady sword arm!” Odin congratulated.

“Odin, I wasn’t going to kill him in the first place. Besides, he was a poor excuse of a soldier anyways. Falling in one hit? Please.”

“Looks like that performance awed the crowd,” Laslow pointed out.

The three friends walked through the crowd while stepping over the three unconscious bodies that lied on the floor. The spectators quickly moved out of their way, as they passed through and entered the barracks.

“Camilla, those three were amazing!” Elise said as she tugged on my arm. “It didn’t take much for them to beat our guys. I think Xander and Leo will be very happy to have them, don’t you think?”

“Indeed,” I chuckled. With a pat on Marzia’s neck, she led us back to the stables. I smiled to myself. “I think I may have found my retainer.”

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This will be a story that follows the Conquest route since I'm more familiar with that story than the others. Maybe I might change that in due time but for now, I hope you guys enjoyed!


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